Connecter



March 1935 H. A. DOUGLA$ 199959115 CONNECTER Filed June 2, 1932 [nuenZw" 17601:; (Z. D0 192 625 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 ITED STATES "PATENTOFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to connecters more particularly for electricalcircuit conductors.

The invention is particularly useful in switchboards for telephoneexchanges and the like.

Among other objects, the invention aims to provide interengaging memberswhich may be economically formed entirely of sheet metal and a series ofwhich may be associated with a fixed conductor such as a bus bar, forexample, the interengaging members being firmly but yieldingly securedtogether to be readily separable when required. Other applications andadvantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The invention will be more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure. 1 is an assembled view of apreferred form of connecter embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 oi! Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a modified form at connector, the

interengaging members being shown in separated relation;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 showing theinterengaging members in interengaged relation;

Figure 6 is a view of a further modified form; and

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 7'7 of Figure 6 showing theinterengaging members in interengaged relation.

In the illustrative connecter shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive theinterengaging members 1 and 2 may be one of a series of such connectersassociated with a fixed conductor such as the bus bar 3 carried by asuitable insulating mounting 4. The member 2 and the bus bar 3 may beclamped together and to the mounting 4 by means of a bolt 5 which passesthrough the bus bar 3 and the mounting4 and through a suitable aperture6 which may be punched in the member 2, a clamping nut 7 being screwedupon the bolt 5.

The interengaging members 1 and 2 are advantageously formed of sheetmetal such as brass which has some resiliency. In accordance with theinvention, the interengaging members have cooperating transverseshoulders which are yieldingly maintained in longitudinal alignment toprevent accidental separation of the members. Each ofthe members 1 and 2desirably has a fiat portion at one of its ends and a folded portion atits other end. The folded portion 8 of the member 1 is convenientlyfolded to cylindrical form to receive the insulated wire 9 which mayhave its end 10 stripped of insulation to be received in the foldedportion 11 of the member 1 also folded to somewhat cylindrical form, butof reduced diameter with respect to the folded portion 8 to snugly gripthe wire 10. The wire 10 and member 1 may be soldered together forfurther security, if desired. The fiat portion 12 of the member 1 isdesirably elongated as shown and is recessed; for instance, it may havea longitudinal slot 13 punched therein, the ends of the slot providingtransverse shoulders on the flat portion 12.

The fiat portion 14 of the member 2 which receives the bolt 5therethrough is conveniently of generally circular shape, while thefolded portion- 15 of said member is bent upon itself to form a springclip between the sides of which the fiat pom tion 12 of the member 1 isreceived. In this instance, the portion 15 is bent along itslongitudinal edges 16 to form two spring tongues 17 which form one sideof the clip opposite to the side 18 formed by the body of the portion15. The side 18, being as here shown considerably wider than the fiatportion 12 of the member 1, may be advantageously channeled as at 19 toreceive this portion 12 and guide it in the clip. The free ends 20 ofthe tongues 17 are normally spaced from the side 18 of the clip adistance less than the thickness of the fiat portion 12, so that thisportion is received in the clip against the pressure of the tongue 1'7which thus yieldingly retains the member 1 in interengagement with themember 2. To further insure this interengagement I have shown thetongues 17 tapered to cause their free ends 20 to be narrower than thelength of the slot 13 and to closely approach each other proximate amedian line passing through the channel 19, flat portion 12 and slot 13.The free ends 20 of the tongues 17 are thus received in a cutawayportion of the portion 12 represented by the slot. 13 which thusprovides a detent-receiving recess for the detents here represented bythe free ends 20, the ends 20 of the tongues thus providing transverseshoulders on the clip 15 which cooperate with the transverse shouldersprovided by the ends of the slot 13 to prevent accidental separation ofthe members 1 and 2. The member 2 may conveniently be provided with astruck up portion 21 against which the portion 12 of the member 1 abutswhen the ends 20 of the tongues 17 are received in the slot 13, thuslimiting the extent of insertion of the member 1 in the member 2.

In the modified form of connecter shown in Figures 4 and 5, theinterengaging member 22 is similar to the member 1, but may have a roundhole 23 punched in the flat portion 24 thereof which receives a detentportion 25o! the other interengaging member 26. The portion 27 of themember 26 is shown folded to form a spring clip which includes thespring tongues 28. The tongues 28 may be tapered as shown to pass eachother instead of merely approaching each other as shown in the previousfigures. So constructed and arranged the portion 27 of the member 26 maybe made of substantially the same width as the portion 24 of the member22 which is snugly received therein and thus is guided to placethedetent 25 and detent recess 23 in register. A struck up portion 29 onthe member 26 may limit the extent of insertion of the portion 24 in theportion 27 to a point where the detent and detent recess are in registeras described.

In the further modification shown in Figures 6 and 7 the spring tongues30 of the interengaging member 31 may have their free ends 32 arcuate toapproach each other in the region of a median line passing through theinterengaging members, the parts being otherwise similar to thearrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the followingclaims without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connector, the combination with a metal memberhaving a flat portion at one end, said portion being elongatedlongitudinally and having a recess therein providing transverseshoulders on the flat portion; of a spring metal member having itslongitudinal edge portions folded upon itself to provide a spring clipreceiving the fiat portion by a telescoping sliding action, the springmetal member where folded being in the form of a pair oi! oppositelydisposed transversely tapering spring tongues directed toward each otherproviding one side of the clip and pressing upon the fiat portion, saidflat portion being snugly received between the tongues and the otherside of the clip opposite the tongues; and the ends of the tonguesforming transverse tongue shoulders on the clip to be received in saidrecess of the flat portion and resiliently maintained by said tongues inlongitudinal alignment with the transverse shoulders 01 the flat portionto cooperate therewith to yieldingly retain the flat portion ininterengagement with the clip, said flat portion shoulders being movableinto and out of said cooperating alignment against the resiliency of thetongues.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the clip is substantially widertransversely than the fiat portion and the side of the clip opposite thespring tongues has a channel therein receiving the flat portion.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the clip is provided with a stop tolimit. the insertion of the flat portion to insure the interengagementof the shoulders of both members.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the clip is substantially widertransversely than the flat portion and the side of the clip opposite thespring tongues has a channel therein receiving the flat portion, andwherein the bottom of the channel is struck up to form a stop to beengaged by the end fiat portion when the ends of the tongues have beenreceived within the recess in the flat portion.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

